Improvement in machines for canceling and registering letters and postal cards



W. H. LYTLE & R. OROOKER. Machine for Canceling and Registering Letters and. Postal-Cards.

Nb. 205,802. Patented Jilly 9,1878.

INVEJVTORS KM W N- PETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGION, D C.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

ILLIAM II. LYTLE AND RICHARD CROOKER, OF DES MOINES, IOTVA.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR CANCELING AND REGISTERING LETTERS AND POSTAL CARDS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 205,802, dated July 9, 1878; application filed April 2, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM H. LYTLE and RICHARD GRocKER, of the city of Des Moines, in the county of Polk and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Postal and Similar Purposes; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a top-plan view with the cover of the box removed, and Fig. 2 is a cross vertical section of Fig. 1 on the line at at with the cover on.

The object of our invention is to produce a convenient postal apparatus for printing or canceling postal or other devices upon envelopes, postal or other cards or wrappers, and registering the same; and it consists in the novel construction and arrai'lgement within a suitable box of certain mechanical devices, as hereinafter described.

In the drawings, A is a box, made rectangular and of any suitable material. It is provided with a movable cover, K, that may be secured as desired.

B and C are two rollers, mounted within the box, and connected in the usual way with gearing h. The former or operating roller B has a portion of its surface cut away, so that when the rollers are in contact there will be be a narrow opening, 6, 011 the line between them, as shown in Fig. 1. \Vithin the portion of the roll thus cut away, printing,-

stamping, or canceling devices, G, are arranged, as shown in the same figure. Metal springs b and c, or equivalent devices, bear against the ends of the axle of this roller to hold it close to its work, and also to allow it to yield when necessary, and a crank-handle, a, is attached for operating it, as shown in said Fig. 1. The opposite roller 0 is provided at one end with a ratchet and pawl, F, to prevent its turning back at any time, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Its opposite end is connected with a registeringgear, D, constructed in the usual way, and mounted in one side of the box, as shown in Fig. 1. This gear is provided with a dial or index-plate, E, and hands f, and may be arranged to register from 1 up to any required number. In front of the dial a glass cover is placed, so that the register may be seen without being interfered with.

The cover K of the box is provided with an opening, through which an inking device, H, consisting of a plunger with an inkingroller mounted in its lower end, is inserted for inking the device on the roller B, as shown in Fig. 2. This cover is also provided with another opening, I, directly over the line of the opening between the rollers, for the insertion of the letter, postal card, wrapper, or other paper that is to be printed, stamped, or canceled. Directly under the rollers guides J are arranged, as shown in Fig. 2, for conducting all matter passing through the rollers out of the box.

The operation of this apparatus will be readily understood. If it is desired to print the name of the post-office or a date, or both, or a-stamp, upon a letter, envelope, postal card, or postal wrapper, or to cancel the same, all that is necessary is to arrange the proper devices for the purpose upon the roller B, and then revolve the rollers by the crank and feed the envelopes, letters, cards, wrappers, 850., through the opening in the cover of the box to the rolls, when the registering-gear will register upon the dial or index the exact number of times that the roller P has revolved; and this registration will be certain and fixed because of the operation of the ratchet and pawl.

'In post-offices or other places, when it is desired to impress or print postal or other devices upon envelopes, postal or other cards or wrappers, and to preserve an exact registry of the same, our apparatus will be especially useful; and, if it isdesired to keep a check upon the operators, the cover of the box can be securely locked, and all access to the interior prevented except by the party having the key.

We claim is-- our own We afiix our signatures in presence of An apparatus for printing or canceling two Witnesses. postal or other devices upon envelopes, postal Hming thus described our invention, What In testimony that we claim the foregoing as or other cards or W1LPI)6I'S,ZH1(1 registering WVILLIAM I-I. LYTLE.

and delivering the same, consisting of the RICHARD (JROOKER.

box K, having the rollers B and G, inking de- 1 vice H, registering mechanism D, feed-open- \Vit-nesses:

ing' I, and delivery-guides J, all constructed GEO. E. KING,

and arranged to operate as set forth. H. O. WVHITNEY. 

